Seijin-shiki
by Writing in SIN
Summary: Many thought that it was a pity Emu ran out of his Coming of Age Day all those years ago. However, as he and Parad stand together with all of the revived patients that missed the ceremony when they succumbed to the game disease, Emu thinks that he's actually pretty lucky.


**NOTES**: Not gonna lie, I rushed to finish this piece because I honestly forgot about the important holiday. So I apologize if the words don't flow well.

* * *

**CULTURAL NOTES:**

*Coming of Age Day (成人の日, Seijin no Hi): It's a Japanese holiday held annually on the second Monday of January. It is held in order to congratulate and encourage all those who have reached or will reach the age of maturity (which is 20 years old in Japan) between April 2 of the previous year and April 1 of the current year, and to help them realize that they have become adults. It's a REALLY important day in their culture.

*Haori: traditional Japanese hip- or thigh-length kimono-style jacket, worn over a kosode.

*Furisode: is a style of kimono distinguishable by its long sleeves

* * *

**2012年 1月 9 日**

* * *

It's his Coming of Age Day and Emu feels like he's going to throw up.

He doesn't understand why but the longer he waits for his name to be called, the more distressed he becomes. It's an important day and he's alone without anyone he knows in the crowd waiting for him. It's not anything new and even though he barely made it to the stage two years ago to receive his diploma, Emu _did_ manage to go through high school graduation (although, he did end up in bed for almost three days feeling like someone caved out his insides immediately after the ceremony). But for some reason, the pit in his stomach today is similar yet much worse compared to high school.

_I'm not supposed to be alone._

Emu can't explain it but he feels like there should be someone here with him at his side; as if they've always been there and always will.

But right now, _isn't._

He doesn't know exactly why it's so important to him, but while forcing a smile and applauding at the appropriate times as the names dwindle down, all Emu can feel is the mounting conviction that he can't be here. Not alone. So with an ache in his chest and a dryness in his throat—

He runs.

Feet stomping and lungs heaving, Emu breaks away from the crowd and shoves his way through to run out of the city hall. There's a burning behind his eyes and a noose around his neck; a feeling of _wrongwrongwrong._

He can't be here. Not alone. He's not supposed to be alone. There's someone that should be right beside him. With him.

Together. Never apart. Always.

Where? Who? Why?

There's a pain in his chest— a chasm; hollow and yawning.

_Make it stop! Make it stop! Make it stop!_

Emu trips unexpectedly and drops down to his hands and knees, the pebbles of the local shrine crunching under him. He whimpers, curling into a ball as he heaves and breaks the hush of the forest with his cries.

_It hurts._

It's his Coming of Age day but it's not only his. It shouldn't be. Everything is _wrongwrongwrong._

_It hurts! Make it stop!_

Something— _someone_ is missing.

There's an empty space where someone should be. In him. Beside him. All around him.

"Come back," he gasps out, tears streaming down his face. "Please come back to me." Emu presses his face to the ground, hands clutching his head as it bows in prayer. "I don't know who you are. I don't know. I don't know. I don't _know!"_

The peaceful hush and reverence of the shrine contrasts sharply to the desperation clawing his chest cavity and his nails scrabble down his neck to try and ease the suffocating sorrow in futile.

"My heart. My _home." _The tears are choking him; drowning him and Emu sobs. "I don't know who you are but, _please come back to me!"_

His body shaking, Emu raises his head and stares up the shrine, crying in earnest for someone he doesn't know.

_"Please don't leave me alone anymore!"_

But even as Emu begs and cries and screams, there is only silence as his pleas and prayers go unanswered.

* * *

**2020年 1月 13 日**

* * *

"This is so exciting," Parad whispers to him, bouncing on the balls of his feet as they wait backstage within Seito University Hospital's conference hall. "But is it really okay for me to be here?"

Chuckling, he reaches out to tuck a stray curl behind Parad's ear before leaning up to kiss his lover's cheek. "Of course it's okay. Why wouldn't it?"

"Well," Parad begins, shuffling his feet as he bites his lip. "This year's Coming of Age ceremony is for all the revived people that missed this day when they succumbed to the game disease, isn't it?"

Emu nods. "It is." Fussing over Parad's haori, Emu tries very hard not to stare at his partner too much because it really should be a crime on how handsome the bugster looks in traditional Japanese clothing. "The Ministry's been planning this for quite some time after all."

"But since I'm one of the reasons why they disappeared in the first place..." Parad ducks his head, shoulders hunching. "Do I even have the right to be a part of this?"

Tipping the bugster's chin up, Emu gives Parad a gentle smile. "Absolutely."

"But..."

Shaking his head, Emu gently guides Parad's head down so that their foreheads touch. "You and I both know how dangerous it was to go into those gashats, even for you." Leaning up, Emu presses his lips to Parad's and smiles as his partner kisses back. When they break apart, Emu cups Parad's jaw in his hands and brushes his thumbs across sharp cheekbones. "Despite that, you still risked your life over and over again everytime you went to retrieve their data, Parad. And you always made sure to apologise to every patient you helped bring back. Some of those from Chronicle may haven't forgiven you yet but there are many more that have."

It's been a long road, full of many hurdles and too many twists and turns but as they wait for the crowd of people that are full of all those who were lost from the game disease, Emu can honestly say that it had all been worth it.

And one of the key people of accomplishing that is standing right in front of him.

Being a genius gamer and not to mentioned the Progenitor of the Bugster race, Parad was the one who figured out on how to break through the locks and access the patients' code and data from the Master and Proto gashats. Granted, reverse engineering the data wasn't easy but one of the silver linings of when Parad had been trapped in Sento's old world is that the bugster gained many useful knowledge that he brought back to beat the game disease. Eventually, with the combined efforts of CR and the Ministry of Health (and even from some geniuses within their Kamen Rider circle), all of those who were lost to the game disease were brought back six months ago.

Momose Saki. Maki Jirou. Dan Masamune.

And of course, Dan Sakurako as well.

The mild mannered woman was _not_ happy with what the men in her family had done— especially when many of their crimes were done in her name. It'd been the first time anyone has ever seen Dan Kuroto and Dan Masamune bowing and grovelling on the ground as they begged and pleaded to the enraged woman for her forgiveness.

Emu knows that it's a bit rude but he has to admit, it was a _very_ satisfying thing to watch.

"Still." Parad leans into his touch, hands covering his as brows furrow. "If I hadn't been born—"

The words come sharp and swift. "Please don't ever say that. Your birth was not a mistake." Emu darts in for a kiss, fierce and firm then, pulls back enough to give Parad a stern glare. "Never to me. Your birth— your sheer _existence_ will always be a blessing to me."

"Emu..." Parad stares at him with tears in his eyes before he dips his head to kiss him sweetly; devotedly. When the bugster pulls back, Parad smiles, soft and loving. "Thank you, Emu."

Mirroring the smile, Emu shifts to clasp their left hands together and feels his smile widening into a grin as their rings slide against one another. "Back at you, Parad."

Considering that there were a number of twenty year olds that disappeared when Zero Day and Chronicle happened, the Ministry of Health and CR decided that once all of the patients are brought back, they'd have a special Coming of Age ceremony especially for them. Considering the history behind the Coming of Age day as a symbol of rising up after the tragedy of World War II and as a way to boost morale, Emu thinks that it's quite a fitting way to celebrate and welcome back all those who had been lost.

In a way, today is a day of rebirth for all of them.

As people trickle inside the hall, they take their seats on stage together with the rest of CR and ministry officials.

Thankfully, the ceremony goes without a hitch.

After formal speeches from both Director Kagami and Kyoutarou-sensei, name announcements (his and Parad's included upon Kyoutarou's insistence), greetings from teachers, and slideshows of the attendees' school years, they are treated to a number of lively performances by Poppy to the joy of the crowd (he's really glad that after CR explained what happened to Poppy in Chronicle, the patients welcomed the bubbly bugster back with open arms).

"It's a Pipopapo Party~!" Poppy shouts out amidst the cheers of the crowd. "Congratulations, everyone!"

When the ceremony is approaching its end, Emu watches happily as Momose Saki; who acts as the representative for the revived as she gives a heartfelt speech to express the excitement for the life they've all regained.

"We who have come back to life will move forward," Saki says to the microphone, beautiful in her sakura printed furisode while Hiiro stands beside her not unlike a loyal knight with tears streaming unabashedly down his face. "Unafraid of failure. We will carve a future of security and laughter— to not take our lives for granted. We vow to strive forward." A beat, before Saki raises the hand that never once has let her go throughout the ceremony and kisses the knuckles with a watery smile. "Together."

Hiiro cries in earnest and nods as the hall is filled with thundering claps and cheers.

Exchanging smiles, he and Parad meet each other halfway for a kiss in celebration to a better beginning for them all.

"To end the ceremony," Kyoutarou announces by the podium, nodding at his direction with a fatherly smile. "A few words from Houjou Emu and Houjou Parad."

Beaming wide, Emu muffles a laugh when he spots how red Parad is at the address. It always brings a pleasant thrill to hear the acknowledgement that Parad is his in every way. Raising the bugster's left hand with his own, Emu brushes a kiss to their wedding bands and smiles up at his partner.

"Shall we?"

Breathing out a laugh, Parad nods with a blushing grin. "Let's."

Amidst the clapping, they walk to stand in the middle of the stage with microphones in hand. Trading a glance, he gestures for Parad to go first and he sees his partner take a nervous breath before exhaling slowly. Determination lining broad shoulders, Parad stares unwaveringly out at the crowd.

"Afternoon, everyone," Parad begins, voice strong and steady. "To those who know me and the part I played in Chronicle, know that none of you are obligated to forgive me despite my involvement in bringing you back."

Despite the dim lighting of the hall, Emu can tell that there are those who shift uncomfortably in their seats as murmurs break out. It pains him but it'll take time for some people to not fear his beloved; a cross Parad has to bear for his past sins. So despite how much he wants to speak up in Parad's defence; to express that Parad has changed and has become one of the best people he has ever known, Emu keeps his silence and stands close right by Parad's side in support.

"Instead," Parad continues, resolute and straight back as his voice softens; humbled. "All I ask is for you to know that I will strive forward together with all of you to find ways to repent for past sins and do right by the people who'd been hurt by my ignorance and cruelty."

Silence falls, and it's obvious that no one had expected those words. Emu blinks as he sees the tense atmosphere slowly dissipating and even though he knows that it's not exactly forgiveness, Emu can tell that Parad's sincerity has reached those who may still fear the Progenitor.

_'I love you,' _he mentally slips out without conscious thought and turns to look at his lover, awed and fiercely proud. _'I love you so much, Parad.'_

Parad darts a glance at him, warm and tender. '_Love you too, Emu. So, so much.'_

"For today," Parad murmurs as he returns his attention back to the crowd and bows his head. "Please allow me to congratulate each and every one of you for this special day." Raising his head, Parad grins wide and throws an arm out with a flourish. "Because it is _your_ perseverance and _your _desire to live that allowed us to help change your fates and bring all of you _back!"_

The crowd cheers, loud and without restraint.

Parad chuckles before he steps back slightly. Taking him by the hand, Parad presses a tender kiss to his knuckles and gestures Emu forward.

The moment he does though, the volume in the hall escalates. Flushing at the warm reception, Emu bows his head and brings the microphone up to his mouth.

"Good afternoon, everyone," Emu greets, smiling when he sees some familiar faces within the crowd. He throws a quick wave at Det. Uesugi's son before he clears his throat. "Originally, the Coming of Age day was created as a way to boost morale after the War— to rise up after the tragedy."

Licking his lips, Emu stares out at the crowd. Even though this isn't his first time in talking in front of a large amount of people, Emu still finds it nerve wreaking. Despite that, he stands tall and takes comfort at the steady hand on the small of his back.

"Today, we are here to celebrate this new start; this new beginning that you've all carved for yourselves as you enter back into society as adults." Shifting, he feels his lips twist into something wry. "Life, as I've learned is quite terrifying; especially when you have to go through it alone."

For a brief moment, he remembers an empty house. Of a suicide attempt on a rainy day. Of waking up in a hospital after a tournament feeling suffocatingly alone.

_Please come back to me!_

Of begging and praying at an empty shrine for his heart and home to be returned to him— for Emu to no longer be alone.

_'Never again,' _Parad swears to him, fierce and resolute as their bond flares gold with promise eternal. '_Never again will you be alone, Emu. This, I swear to you.'_

Emu smiles, eyes burning. _'As I swear to you, Parad.'_

"Even so," he addresses the people as they listen, surprisingly attentive to his words. "Hold on and don't let go of the life you have. Cherish it. Because as I'm sure all of you know, it'll be worth it. So—" here, Emu grins and sweeps a hand out. "Let's clear life with no continues, okay?"

Recognising his signature, the crowd laughs and cheers as they echo his words.

"Congratulations, everyone," he says warmly and taps his smiling mouth. "Smile, and know that you are _alive."_

An attendee shoots up from his seat. "To being alive!"

"Banzai!" the crowd cheers.

Emu laughs, trading warm glances with the people he cares about.

While it's true that Emu is eight years late but, as he stands on the stage with the love of his life right beside him while all of their friends gather behind them, Emu finds that it doesn't matter. He's no longer that heartbroken twenty year old anymore. Now, all he needs to do is just look beside him and it's Parad's face he finds, Parad's smile he returns, and Parad's embrace that envelops him on their Coming of Age Day ceremony.

They're here and they are so _alive._


End file.
